University of Florida - ENGLISH 0110Modifier

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Modifiers Dangling, Misplaced, Ambiguous Lesson: Misplaced modifiers are words that, because of their placement, confuse the meaning of a sentence. Words should be placed as closely as possible to ... what they describe. Misplaced Modifier Example: The students could see the shuttle launch from the school. Corrected From the school, the students could see the shuttle launch. Explanation The shuttle did not launch from the school. The students were at the school. Lesson: Dangling modifiers are created when groups of words that open a sentence are not followed by the word that they describe. Modifying words that open a sentence should be followed as closely as possible by the word that they describe. Dangling Modifier Example: While sleeping soundly, the alarm clock awakened Mary. Corrected While sleeping soundly, Mary was awakened by the alarm clock. Explanation It was not the alarm clock that was sleeping soundly; it was Mary. Lesson: Ambiguous modifiers are words that confuse the meaning of a sentence because they could refer to more than one element within the sentence. Ambiguous Modifier Example: The band director told us strictly to count beats. Correct The band director strictly told us to count beats. Explanation Did the band director tell us strictly or ask us to count strictly? Lesson: Split infinitive means to separate the two parts of an infinitive (to + verb) which belong together. Avoid placing words or phrases between the word “to” and its verb. Split Infinitive Example: She asked me to carefully drive home. Correct She asked me to drive home carefully. Explanation The word “carefully” falls between the word to and its verb (drive). This study source was downloaded by 100000784424693 from CourseHero.com on 04-17-2021 09:43:55 GMT -05:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/12616859/Modifier/ This study resource was shared via CourseHero.com Modifier.doc Disk A(1) 2 A. Most of the underlined modifiers in the following sentences are misplaced, distorting the intended meaning of the sentences. Label the sentences with misplaced modifiers (MM). Label the sentences with correctly placed modifiers (C). ________ 1. They watched the goldfish eating sandwiches. ________ 2. They planted the seeds in their blue jeans. ________ 3. The cheerleader tripped and fell on her skirt. ________ 4. The Boy Scouts went camping with their fathers. ________ 5. She kicked him in the arena. ________ 6. I sent them a picture blown up in an envelope. ________ 7. She asked the teller for money with a smile. ________ 8. Santa’s smiling face appeared with a huge sack of presents for everyone. ________ 9. She found a spider doing exercises on the floor. ________ 10. The little girls watched the ballerina doing pirouette [Show More]

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